I’ve been watching Fagradalsfjall, Iceland’s latest volcanic eruption for the past few months, hoping it would still be flowing for my trip this week. It is one of the more unique volcano flows, it started in a valley and the lava flowed down between small mountains. That meant people could hike right up to the edge of the flow or climb higher and look down into the bubbling crater. Some magnificent photos and videos have been created and I was […]
Yea, 2020 was a strange year. There was way too much loss but there was much to celebrate. I was able to go to Iceland and get a couple of shots I had wanted for a long time, a great ice cave image and the Aurora Borealis. I was in Cuba when the pandemic hit hardest in the U.S. and we had to cut the trip short for concern we wouldn’t be able to get back into the country. The […]
There was a vigil for justice today in Woodstock, VT, where about 300 people gathered on the green. That’s a pretty good crowd considering the village has fewer than 1000 residents. Vermonters tend pretty community involved and there was plenty of solidarity shown, some tears shed and it ended with the crowd taking a knee for nearly nine minutes to honor the death of George Floyd.
I love when when great planning comes together to create a good picture. I love even more when dumb planning and incredible luck combine to create a special image. I was out shooting star trails over a pond last night and lined up a cool looking shot. I planned on getting some good reflections from the trees I was lighting with my flashlight in the water. Star trails are essentially very long exposures and the stars blur due to the […]
During my workshop in Cuba last month I was lucky to have Beth Payne as one of the participants. Beth retired from the State Department and now does training to help people become more resilient in their lives. As the covid-19 crisis was shutting down the U.S. and creeping into Cuba, Beth provided valuable assurance to the group, both in dealing with what was unfolding back home but also that we would be able to get home. I asked Beth […]
A dear friend died last night. Marilyn Dillon was a co-worker and friend and a source of strength for a long time. Dillon, as she preferred to be called, fought many courageous battles the last 13 years but always had that devilish grin, ready to toss out a dry quip. When life isn’t perfect I often think of her determination and grit and wonder “What would Dillon do?” As the tears run down my face I smile. I’m lucky to […]
Nature is amazing and one of the most unique sights is the Aurora Borealis – the northern lights. To see them in full fury is a thrill and we had a great display tonight in Iceland. It takes the right combination of dark skies, sun spot activity and no clouds. There is a scale of 1-9 that rates the solar activity and they predict it three weeks in advance. Last week it was showing that we would only be at […]
Pantone recently announced Classic Blue (19-4052) as the 2020 Color of the Year and it just happens to be one of my favorite colors to photograph. Really! Here’s what Pantone said: “A timeless and enduring blue hue, PANTONE 19-4052 Classic Blue is elegant in its simplicity. Suggestive of the sky at dusk, the reassuring qualities of the thought-provoking PANTONE 19-4052 Classic Blue highlight our desire for a dependable and stable foundation on which to build as we cross the threshold […]
I keep getting older and life keeps getting better! Sure, creaky bones and old man stiffness is coming on strong but my brain still thinks I’m in my 20’s. I am fortunate and thankful that I am loved by my wife Robin, have great family and friends and am doing the work that I love. One of my life dreams, opening a photography gallery, came true this year and I’m traveling to places I could only have imagined not too […]
Today was a special day – the official grand opening of my photography gallery in Bedminster, NJ. Having a brick-and-mortar gallery of my work has been a long time dream and to see it come together is a thrill. Then to have family and friends come together to help me celebrate made for a day I won’t forget. I’ve had the space for a few months but with all my workshops and traveling I wasn’t able to put all the […]
The final full day of my Iceland Photography Workshop was spent in Reykjavik, Iceland’s capital and largest city. Even though there are a little over 200,00 people, two-thirds of all Icelanders live in the Reykjavik area and it has that small city feel. There is plenty happening in Reykjavik, it has a hopping night scene, big art scene and a top-notch performing arts center called Harpa. Iceland isn’t known for it architecture, most buildings are functional and blocky but Harpa […]
Iceland is known for waterfalls and glaciers, yesterday I took my workshop to the waterfalls, today it was glacier time. I know this little spot where a tongue of Vatnajökull glacier comes down into a lagoon. There is a little dirt road back to it off the highway, it isn’t marked and too small for most people to take a chance to see what is there. Vatnajökull is the largest glacier in Europe and covers 8% of Iceland. It is […]
A quick shout out to my sister-in-law Penny Milligan who opened a new store today. Thirteen years ago Penny followed a dream and took a major leap by opening her own retail store, The Hungry Hound. Penny had worked in retail for years and knew what she was doing but opening your own small store was a huge risk. Now she has moved the store across the street in Somerville, NJ, and gone from 1500 square feet to over 5000 […]
I saw my first total solar eclipse while in the Oregon desert in 2017 and decided right then that I would an eclipse chaser. I started planning for the next one as soon as I got home. Well, it was yesterday and pretty much all I can do is say WOW! I was concerned that maybe the first eclipse would be the best and seeing another would be a let down. It sure wasn’t. The impact of seeing the moon […]
This is the first official day of a photo adventure in Chile as we went from Santiago to the artsy town of Valparaiso. I had read plenty about Valparaiso and saw many photos but I wasn’t prepared for what was there. Most of the old part of the city is painted with murals by amazingly talented artists. Walking from our hotel, we took a funicular up a steep hill and everywhere we looked was street art. It looked like much […]